Santa Clara University Top Questions

just be open to making friends, talk to other students about what to bring- actually I really was pretty well prepared except for not bringing a few sports equipment and having some trouble hooking up my printer etc. just keep studying hard and get help if you need it

Don't be scared about the first few weeks of college. Everyone is in the same boat as you are, everyone is super friendly, and things seem to just fall into place. If you have roommate problems, know that there is more to your social life than being best friends with your roommate and that you will find amazing, life long friends elsewhere. And never take an eight a.m. on tues/thurs! :)

Dear Self, Here is some advice for you to take with you to college now that you are officially a high school graduate. Congratulations, by the way! First, don't take yourself too seriously. What do I mean by this? Don't be afraid to try something new and, dare I say, to fail. College is a safe place for you to investigate yourself, discover new passions, and reinvent old passions. Revel in this opportunity. Second, make a concerted effort to spend fifty percent of your time outside of your comfort zone. This goes along with the first piece of advice, but it reiterates just how important it is to experiment. I received this advice after I graduated, and looking back I wished I had had this advice when I said "No" to getting involved in a committee or "Maybe next time" when asked to join a team. The point is to live in the moment, even if it is unfamiliar, because in the end, your life will be that more enriched having had the experience than to have not experienced it at all. Lastly, laugh a lot and carry this advice with you throughout life. You'll be great!

College can be a difficult transition no matter what kind of person you are (introvert, extrovert, high energy, low energy, etc.). I happen to be a fairly extroverted person, able to make friends really easily. That being said, it definitely was an interesting transitional period for me. I was so used to being over-involved: doing practically everything in high school. I personally made the decision to not involve myself with anything other than focusing on academics and my social life during my freshman year. It was very hard for me to like being at the college I chose, simply because I wasn't making myself do everything I was used to. Going back in time, I would allow myself to be apart of those things that I had been used to at that point, and not be scared of how it would have affected my grades. Inevitably, I probably would have done much better academically freshman year, if I had focused on doing more than just schoolwork and becoming bored with it.

Too personal to share.

Looking back on high school, there are a lot of things I wish I did differently during the college search process. If I could talk to myself as a high school senior, I would tell myself to actually research colleges and look into what students have to say about the schools. I would also look into a wider variety of schools and ask people what they wish they had done when looking for colleges. I would tell myself to utilize my high school and familial resources in order to make an informed decision. I would also advise myself to visit more campuses and to get a better feel for the varieties of campus lifestyles. Instead of taking a backseat in the college search process, it's imperative to get engaged and find out information such as financial aid, study abroad programs, and social life. I would also tell myself that I should consider schools where I received an academic scholarship in order to save money for my family and other siblings in college. When deciding which college to go to, I made many typical yet foolish mistakes but luckily my choice led me to a stimulating and welcoming university.

Experience as much as you can. Any place of higher learning you go to will have a world of opportunities outside of your courses. Take advantage of that, don't try to pick and chose them by your major either, just find things that interest you and go for it. Find internships, clubs, sports, volunteering opportunities, anything you can to get your hands dirty and experience all college has to offer. You'll meet people that will lead you onto other adventures and experiences and make friendships along the way. Those people and contacts you make will add richness and depth to your college experience, cherish them. You have four years to make the most out of it; don’t waste a single moment of it. Nobody ever graduated from college saying they wish they slept more.

Given the chance to talk to myself as a high school senior, I would give the advice to truly work hard and not waste my time. It is not a secret that college takes a whole new level of work ethic, but there is no doubt that working hard in high school can help you prepare yourself. So many times senior year is taken as a year off to have fun, but I would give the advice that it is a time to further my education as well as prepare myself for what is to come: college courses. Senior year should be taken as a time to create study habits and a strong work ethic so that freshman year of college is not too much of a shock. Knowing what I know now after starting my first year of college, this advice would have been very useful.

Honestly, that the first month will hit you like a bowling ball and you'll feel that you don't belong. It's the first time you're living on your own and you know almost no one on campus, and all of the people you know have gone off on their own ways as well. But then by the end of the year you're complaining that you have to go back home.

As time gets closer to high school graduation a mix of feelings come into me. I did'nt know what I felt, at the same time I was full of joy but I had a sentation of fear. As the oldest in my family im the one who takes the lead, as the first one in my family to attend college im the first to show them my success. Back at high school as a student questions come up in mind especially when our parents can't help us. Now that im at college my advise will be to get as much help as possible from counselors to help me select the best school that will fit with me finacially, my school is expensive and now its hard to keep on going having my parents pressured to pay. Also, I will seek advise from a counselor to help me select my career or at least get some ideas of many other careers that I dont know about. A big advice will be to apply for as much scholarships as possible to feel comfortable with supplies. As a high school student it would be helpful to talk to current college students.